July 05, 2014

Five new animal nutrition research
studentships are being funded in the UK by AB Vista this summer as part of
an industry-leading initiative to promote future research expertise.

Previously funded primarily by the academic institutes or bodies such as the
BBSRC (Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council), the new
research studentships will be placed at the University of Nottingham, Harper
Adams University (HAU) and Nottingham Trent University.

“Each will last for eight to ten weeks and be funded by a grant of around
£3,000,” says Sarah Jones, AB Vista’s Research Co-ordinator and administrator
of the initiative.

“The only condition specified was that each project be
related in some way to animal nutrition.

“AB Vista currently sponsors 29 PhD studentships globally, but this initiative
will allow those who have not yet committed to research to gain experience,
learn skills and decide whether it is really what they want to do.”

According to University of Nottingham’s Dr John Brameld, it’s also an
invaluable opportunity to see whether students can rise to the challenges posed
by full-time research.

“The resource limitations for undergraduate projects
mean that few get the exposure needed to determine whether post-graduate
research is the right step to take. These studentships are an ideal way for
students and staff to assess the potential of a career involving research.”

Current AB Vista postgraduate researcher Stephen Mansbridge benefited from a
similar BBSRC-funded studentship before embarking on a full-time PhD at HAU.

“For me, it was an ideal bridge between my degree and a PhD, without having to
commit to a master’s degree. The practical experience in running trials and
laboratory analysis – plus a greater understanding of animal nutrition as a
whole – put me in a really good position for when I started the PhD,”he says.

“Encouraging young people to pursue a career in research is vital if the animal
nutrition industry is to maintain the pool of expertise we rely on to help
drive development,” adds Dr Mike Bedford, AB Vista’s Research Director.

“These new studentships allow AB Vista to support that process, and give
opportunities to those who might otherwise not get to try research for
themselves.”